Saving For Christmas

I know it's only March, but it is our turn to host the annual food fest we affectionately call Christmas this year. As my husbands family all eat as if a famine of biblical proportions is iminent, saying we go through a lot of food, is an understatement.

So hence my decision to start saving for it now.

Now, saving money is all well and good, but it's not one of the things that I am best known for. So last week while at Sainsburies I ventured to find out the location of the savings stamps machine and as I had a few pound coins nestled in the bottom of my purse I pulled them out and stuck one in the machine. It clanked and out popped a stamp. How clever! The kids thought this was great fun, so they both wanted a go. I gave them both a pound each and they dutifully popped in their coin, and out popped a stamp, all three attached to each other.

By this time I was feeling a little impressed with myself, Willow of course wanted to know what they where for and what you did with them, Oscar of course, didn't care. I must admit that along with the feeling impressed with myself, I also felt slightly embassed in case any one saw what I was doing. But why should I feel embarrased? What I was doing is surely a very sensible thing to do? I was investing in a very expensive time of year, when traditionally most people maxed out their credit cards and paid out later, I was paying out now, so I didn't have to. Even so, I still felt like a bit of a chav, especially when I had to ask the man at the help desk for a card to still them on.

Up until very recently, we have been living in a culture of buying now and paying some time in the future. If we want something we go and buy it, without any thought of when or how we are going to actually pay for it. Credit cards are a way of sticking your head in the sand. It is the proverbial ostrich. Anyway, we can't do that any more. Credit cards are the spawn of the devil, and I am reduced to more inventive ways of paying for things.

By the time I had got home, (and out of the public eye) I stuck my stamps proudly on the card, and put it in a safe place. Every time I go to Sainsburies from now on, I will stick a pound or so in the stamp machine and collect some more stamps. Christmas is going to be less stressful this year, I could even save enough money in stamps to buy Chritmas presents as well as food. In the long run, I don't really care if I look like a chav, I am saving money, and that's the most important bit. Actually the most important bit is the fact that I can save money in a place that I know I won't be tempted to spend it. If I put it in the bank, it wouldn't stay there very long, and under the mattress wouldn't help either, it is the format that it's in that's the problem. If it is in pounds sterling, then I will spend it. I can't spend stamps any other place than Sainsburies, and that's the draw. That's why they are the best way to save for Christmas.

Procrastinating and the Art of not Spending Money

I have been living in a bit of a vacuum this past week or so. I was surprised to hear on the news today something about David Cameron returning to work after the death of his son. I had absolutely no idea that this had happened, and was quite shocked when I heard it. The only thing I am concious of hearing on the news is the murders in Northern Ireland by the Real IRA. I thought that maybe I should try a bit harder to find out about what is going on, so I have bookmarked The Telegraph. Let' see if that makes any difference.

To be perfectly honest, current affairs are either so complicated or just so down right miserable, it's very difficult to summon up any enthusiasm for the news. Is it any wonder that we all want to find out about celebrities and what they are doing? It's infinitely happier than the latest death toll in N.I.

But enough about that. This past couple of weeks I haven't done my usual big monthly shop at the supermarket, as I was very brassic this month, so I decided to be very frugal and just go when I needed to, and stock up on essentials as I ran out, or as I was going to use them that day. At first it sounded like a super idea, I mean it's not like the cupboards are bare or anything. There is tonnes of food in the cupboard, and the freezer, so none of us are likely to starve. But when you have to walk past Waitrose everyday on the way to pick up your son from nursery, it is difficult not to pop in for some basics, and while you are in there then you end up buying a little one of those, and a smidgeon of that, and oh, that looks ever so tasty, and before you know it you've spent twenty quid instead of five.

So now you see why this is a bad move. Instead of buying my usual items at a reasonable price from a cheaper supermarket, I go to the most expensive supermarket and spend a fortune. I seem to remember doing this not that long ago and documenting my stupidity on these pages. It appears I have not learned my lesson. I will be very glad when Oscar goes to school after Easter, which is no where near a supermarket and I won't have to pick him up at lunch time, therefore will not be out of the house at lunchtime, (do not pass go, do not spend £200). Think of all the money I'll save!

I am even more concerned about Alex and his job. He said that his boss has been giving them all pep talks about them pulling together and working as a team (in my book this inevitably means cut backs). They are all apparently working really hard to keep the ompany afloat. He has been going in early to do extra work, and I know from Alex's under-estimation, that if he says it's bad, then it's worse.

I read on the news website that house prices have fallen 20% in the past year, and could be set to fall a futher 50%. My god if that happens, and Alex looses his job, then we will be without a house and still have a massive mortgage to pay off. It doesn't bear thinking about. See, now I know why I didn't read the news.